


TIME Magazine - The 100 Most Influential People - Sherlock Holmes & Dr. John Watson

by alwaysanoriginal



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Graphics, John's blog, M/M, Magazine Article, THE BOYS ARE IN TIME MAGAZINE LADS, how do I tag this tbh, magazine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 19:06:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12238899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alwaysanoriginal/pseuds/alwaysanoriginal
Summary: Sherlock and John make TIME's "most influential" list, and they react to Mycroft's article upon receiving the magazines.Includes the TIME cover, article, a blog post by John, and a bonus extra TIME cover for another issue that's alluded to in the fic. :)





	TIME Magazine - The 100 Most Influential People - Sherlock Holmes & Dr. John Watson

It’s Sunday, and on this particular Sunday, 221B is quiet.

Well, that’s not precisely true. One of the windows is cracked, letting through the distant sounds of a London afternoon and a slight breeze that flutters the papers on the table. Sherlock’s phone is docked on the speaker system, and the faint sounds of Frank Sinatra’s discography play softly. But other than that, the flat is quiet.

It might be more accurate to say that John _feels_ quiet, in his bones. Peaceful, really. He’s lying on the couch with Sherlock curled up mostly on top of him, watching the dust motes in the sunlight as they both drowse lazily. Sherlock’s breathing is beginning to deepen as John combs fingers through his curls softly, and John’s pretty sure they’re both halfway to asleep. An afternoon nap doesn’t sound like a half bad idea, and they’re practically napping already minus the actual unconsciousness part.

And then, the doorbell rings.

Sherlock rumbles a groan into John’s chest.

“Yeah, I’m not moving,” John says. “Mrs. H can tell whoever it is to bugger off. We’re not available today.”

Sherlock kind of snuffles in agreement and shifts closer.

Silence. And then they hear Mrs. Hudson coming up the stairs, and they both sigh.

“I’m sorry boys, I know I said I wouldn’t bother you on your day off, but the magazines are finally here!” she says, clearly excited. John turns his head enough to see her place a box on his chair and bustle towards the kitchen. “Let me just find a scissor and get this open for you. This is so _exciting_! Oh, but look at the state of this table… You really should clean this kitchen more…”

Sherlock mumbles quietly, “I don’t care.”

“About the kitchen, or the magazines?” John teases.

“Both. Either.”

“I _do_ care, just a little bit, about both. Mostly the magazines at the moment. Come on, budge up a bit.” John pokes Sherlock to shift to the side so he can slide out, and Sherlock moves with a heavy sigh, dramatically making it clear that he’s moving under duress. He face-plants in the couch just to be contrary, and John tries not to laugh.

“ _Here_ we are,” Mrs. Hudson says, brandishing scissors triumphantly. “Found them in one of the drawers. John, you really should do something about that kitchen, at least the main table. It’s not decent.”

John ignores her words and takes the scissors to wrestle the box open, and he immediately hands her a copy from the top of the stack.

She gasps at the cover. “Oh, look at you both! You’re so handsome. It’s not quite as exciting as the time _your_ article was published, John, but at least you’re both on the cover this time. I’m none too pleased that Mycroft was chosen to write the article and if he’s said anything poor about either of you I will be extremely cross, mark my words. But I’ll just go downstairs to read and leave you two alone to look at this by yourselves, shall I? Might pop over and show Mrs. Turner…”

John distractedly replies something like “Mm, yes, thank you” as she leaves, and once she’s out the door he says, “I can’t believe they used _this_ image for the cover. I look so awkward. That entire photoshoot was bloody awful. I can’t believe they talked us into it.”

John can tell Sherlock’s curiosity is getting the better of him, even though he’s still on the couch pretending not to care. He takes pity on him and brings a copy over, and he nudges Sherlock with his socked foot before plopping down.

Sherlock sits up next to him and hooks his chin over his shoulder. “I told them they should have let you wear a cardigan instead of that jacket.”

“You’re biased just because you just like my cardigans, except for the Christmas ones.”

“Obviously I’m biased, but my opinion should be considered most valid.”

John snorts and opens the magazine, quickly finding the page with the article on it. “Christ, I can’t decide if this is better or worse than the cover. Look at that background. What was it the photographer said?”

Sherlock puts on a snide American voice. “‘We want to photograph you in your _natural habitat._ ’”

“Like a textured alley wall somehow indicates capturing criminals. The bloody _flat_ is our natural habitat.”

“We do spend a strange amount of time running down alleyways, but I agree. It’s appalling.”

“At least you look good, if sort of intimidating. But I always think you look good.”

“Biased.”

“Yep. Hmm. Didn’t they want you to wear the hat?”

“Oh, God. As if the _hat_ is my ‘natural habitat.’”

John giggles, and after a moment Sherlock joins in.

“Ridiculous. Suppose it could’ve been worse, then,” John says. “Nothing for it, even though Greg will probably take the piss out of us when I give him a copy. Let’s see what Mycroft’s blathered on about for three columns.”

John folds the magazine over, and they both begin to read.

 

_“Caring is not an advantage.” These are the words I attempted to instill in my brother from the days of our shared childhood, both because it is an adage I adopted for myself and because I felt it could be of some benefit to him. However, in his typical manner and whether consciously or unconsciously, Sherlock set out to deliberately prove me incorrect–at least in regards to how my well-worn words relate to him._

_Caring, sentiment, emotion… these synonymous concepts are the unfortunate byproduct of being human, and they are what cause the pitfalls of our species. They cloud our minds, affect our judgment, and stem the flow of higher reasoning–all symptoms of imperfection both Sherlock and I disdain. Yet it is now, on the heels of one of the greatest scandals England as a nation has seen, that I can attest to what I have known all along: Sherlock Holmes cares far more than he admits to, and far more than many others see. He has one of the greatest minds in recent history; as such, he could be or do whatever he wishes, but he instead elects to assist Scotland Yard in protecting London from itself. This is not the profession of an uncaring man, no matter how he may claim to the contrary. We have seen in his most notable adversaries the actions that those with exceptional minds but no consciences may commit, and it is to the benefit of us all that Sherlock’s chosen path is both different and moral._

_Dr. John Watson is one of the few who knows that Sherlock is more than simply a man with great intellect, and he recognized the uniqueness of Sherlock’s work from the onset of their acquaintance. When I first became aware of his presence in my brother’s life, I surmised that Dr. Watson would either make him wholly better or ruin him entirely. The result is more of the former and less of the latter–a testament to Dr. Watson as a person–and no one can doubt either his influence or his significance. Embellishment and grammatical errors notwithstanding, Dr. Watson’s chronicles of his and Sherlock’s escapades have captioned the attention of an international audience and occasionally acted as an unconventional news source. He is evidently invaluable to Sherlock Holmes both personally and professionally, and it is through his eyes that Sherlock is observed by the world; as long as it is within his power, he makes the resulting gaze an overall favorable one whilst being instinctively trusted by the masses to always relay the truth. Because of Dr. Watson, Sherlock became more fully seen at last–at least by those who choose to truly look._

_Neither of these men ever intended or wanted to become household names for their efforts, and indeed their newfound celebrity status may actually make their work more difficult without the benefits of covertness. Nevertheless, for better or worse, their faces and names are now irrevocably intertwined and known in the public sphere. I am not one to refer to people as “heroes,” and plenty others have used that word to excessively describe them as of late. Instead, I will simply admit that although caring may not be an advantage, I have learned the difficult lesson that something does not need to be advantageous to be any less worthy of pursuit; and were I the kind to wax poetic, perhaps I would say that England is quite lucky Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson cared enough to try to save it._

_**Mycroft Holmes holds an influential position in the British government, for which there is no official title.** _

 

Sherlock’s a faster reader, so when he finishes he abruptly pulls away and steps on and over the coffee table to go stand by the window.

John’s eyebrows, by the time he finishes, are at his hairline. “Wow,” he says, as he flips the magazine closed and onto the table. “You know, I don’t really know what I was expecting him to write, but I couldn’t have predicted that.”

Sherlock’s scowling out the window with his hands behind his back. “It was… _nice_. Disgustingly so. And _honest_.”

“Hm. Weirdly, yes. I can’t say I mind though.”

Sherlock snaps back, “ _I_ mind! He made me sound so… soft. It’s awful.”

John’s trying not to smile. “Well, you _are_ nice, Sherlock. In your own way.”

Sherlock gives John an exasperated look and turns back to the window.

Undeterred, John heaves himself up and goes over to him. “Look… I think I know what this is about.”

“Oh? Do enlighten me.”

John ignores the sarcasm. “We both hate being in the media, but I know you hate it more than I do. And I know you hated the picture everyone has always painted of you before, the whole ‘Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective’ lark, the person who does savage deductions and looks all imperious with the cheekbones and the turned up coat collar. But you’re not… that.”

Sherlock rolls his eyes. “Yes, I am. They didn’t invent that out of nowhere, John.”

“Okay, fine, you’re a little bit of that,” John agrees. “But what I mean is that’s not all of you, especially not anymore. I know you hate that picture of you because it forces you to feel like you have to look and act a certain way because of your fans and your critics and the media expecting it, but you’re not walking around trying to be deliberately mean.”

Sherlock makes a frustrated sound and waves a hand. “Irrelevant. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m sure that will all go entirely out of the window now thanks to my brother’s disgustingly sentimental tripe.”

“And I was getting to that. I do have a point, you know,” John says, but it’s more teasing than rebuking. “You hate being seen as only an unfeeling machine. That’s why I don’t think it’s a bad thing that your brother hinted at a different side to you in this. It’s not going to make you any less intimidating, or brilliant, but I also know you also hate people thinking you’re soft.”

Sherlock’s frowning more than scowling now, his mouth a moue of distaste. “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t care what other people think of me in any way. The majority of them are idiots regardless, and the opinions of strangers mean nothing to me.” He crosses his arms, but to John it looks more like he’s hunching inward than looking defiant, and not for the first time it strikes John how complex the love of his life is and how often he’s misunderstood.

John softly puts his hand on Sherlock’s cheek to turn him to face him. “You always seem to care an awful lot for someone who says he doesn’t care,” he says gently.

Sherlock closes his eyes, and John gives him a soft kiss before sliding forward to wrap one arm around his waist. He puts his head on Sherlock’s shoulder so they’re looking out the window together, and Sherlock pulls him closer.

John sighs. Then, quietly: “Listen… There are always going to be people who only see your brain and forget your heart. I used to be one of them, and I know it, and I’ll always regret it. The only difference is now there just might be more people who paint you as the caring hero instead, but you’re not either one of those extremes. You fall somewhere in the middle, because you are a _human being_ and you are the only Sherlock Holmes in the world, and you don’t need to worry about being a specific media version of you just because some people want it. I _know_ you say it doesn’t matter to you, but I think I know you best aside from Mycroft, and–“

“No.”

John stops and blinks up at him. “No? No, what?”

Sherlock stares back, cerulean eyes steady and soft. “You know me best. Period. Mycroft comes second to you, in this and in everything.”

John’s grin is a slow thing to match the feeling of warmth blooming in his chest. “Oh. Well. Alright then. But what I was going to say is I know it bothers you more than you let on, but the point is I’m telling you to stop worrying about it. And we both know I’ve probably said more sentimental things about you on the blog or in my own article, so this isn’t coming as a _complete_ surprise to the public.”

Sherlock smirks. “This is different because it’s Mycroft. People expect sentiment from you at this point. You’ve been waxing poetic about me since the day we met.”

“Oy.” John nudges him in the side. “I’m not that bad. And can you blame me? Tall, fit bloke with a deep voice and a genius intellect, seemingly omniscient, saw through me the moment we met? You were amazing.”

Sherlock’s smirk widens. “Mmm. Still am, if your blog’s recent posts are anything to go by.”

John nudges him again. “Git,” he says fondly, and Sherlock chuckles.

John moves away to the grab the magazine and his phone from the coffee table. “Speaking of the blog, I should post about this on there like I did the last time. I know _Time_ appreciates the publicity, and everyone will want to hear the news.”

“Ugh,” Sherlock says, watching John take a quick photo of the magazine’s cover in his hand as he heads towards his laptop. “Must we?” he asks. John ignores the rhetorical question in favor of pulling up a document, so Sherlock moves to stand beside him. “If you’re going to post anyway, can I add a few words?”

John cranes his neck to stare up at him in disbelief. “ _You_ want to write on the blog? Should I check the news? Has Hell frozen over?”

That earns him another eye-roll. “Oh, shut up. If Hell’s frozen over today, it’s because the ‘Ice Man’ was publicly sentimental, not because of my innocent request.”

“Fine, I’ll bite. What do you want to add?”

“Honorable mentions, of a sort. I want to give credit where credit is due. We didn’t ‘save England’–“ air quotes– “by ourselves.”

John smiles up at him, feeling completely smitten for the billionth time. “Have I mentioned lately that I love you?”

Sherlock smiles back and tilts his head, pretending to consider. “Hmm, maybe. But this is the rare instance where I don’t mind repetition.”

“I love you, Sherlock Holmes. Come here.”

Sherlock bends down and John reaches up. The kiss is slow, and deep, and warms him down to his toes.

Sherlock pulls back just enough to reply, “I love you too. Let me know when you finish writing and I’ll add my own words below.”

“M’kay. Sounds good.”

Another quick kiss, and then Sherlock goes to turn off Frank Sinatra and pull out his violin.

John slowly pecks his words out on the keys–with two fingers on each hand now, as he’s thankfully improved over time–to the soundtrack of London, and Sherlock filling the peaceful flat with the beautiful sounds of classical music. 

 

**_23 April – Back in TIME_ **

_I have some news some of you may find exciting. We’re in Time magazine again–and hopefully for the last time, thank you. Neither of us really enjoys the media spotlight. I’ll admit though that it’s pretty cool we’ve managed to land ourselves on the list of “The 100 Most Influential People” for this year, even if I’m not sure we deserve the honour. They’ll be on newsstands the weeks of 1 May and 8 May, and once I get a link to order our cover online I’ll post it here for you. Let us know what you think._

__

__

_Sherlock wanted to add something to this post, so the rest of the words on here are his. I know, I know, he never writes on the blog, but there’s an exception to every rule! And he took the photo, too. Apparently the one I took of the cover in my hand wasn’t good enough, so enjoy that. No idea how he managed to make a magazine look posh, but that’s Sherlock for you._

**[Image of an open magazine, with a closed one showing a cover on top]**

_I’m told being in Time’s list is a high honour, but I find it somewhat unfair that it’s an honour being bestowed only upon John and I. We did not ‘save England’ by ourselves, and in fact there was much that went on behind the scenes. Those who follow John’s blog closely may recognize the following names, but there are 3 other individuals who deserve credit and do not receive it nearly as often as they ought. Were it up to me, Detective Inspector Gregory Lestrade, Molly Hooper, and Mrs. Martha Hudson would receive pages in Time as well._

_Without Lestrade, there would be no infamous ‘Sherlock Holmes’ as you all know me today. He gave me purpose when few people would have given me a chance; I don’t thank him often for all he did and continuously does for me, but I have always been grateful. It is through the tireless work of him and his team that the inhabitants of London remain as safe as possible, and the criminal classes are brought to justice. He consults me on difficult cases, yes, but there is much work he does on his own, and said work is rarely glamorous. John and I ‘saved England’ with Lestrade on speed dial and in our confidences, so you should direct your gratitude as much to him as you do to us._

_Those of you who read John’s comprehensive article in January are also aware of the significance of Molly Hooper. Without her expertise and resolve, I would not have been able to fake my death, and the events on the roof of St. Bart’s and all that followed might have gone very differently. You also may not realize that she is my helping hands in the lab on any given day, including during the difficult events of last year. I have not always been kind to her, and for that I apologized to her long ago, but I will always consider her a friend and I know I am lucky to have one so forgiving, professional, and trustworthy._

_Lastly, Mrs. Martha Hudson deserves recognition for putting up with John and I at our worst, supporting us during our best, and making the best tea in England I’ve yet to encounter. She has accepted us both into her home and her generous heart, and she did so for me when I arguably needed it most many years ago. Those who do not personally know her should be jealous of those who do._

_I find fame and fans tedious and annoying on most days, and it is not for recognition that I do what I do. But to those who continued to ‘believe in’ me and in John by extension, I understand the value in that, and I thank you for not slandering our names. This will be the only time I say this, so savor it: I do appreciate you, in my own way… though of course, by and large you continue to be idiots._

_(Don’t take it personally. Everyone is.)_

_Sincerely,_

_Sherlock Holmes_

~~~~~~

Bonus cover for the issue that held John's article, which was alluded to above:

Regarding the "bonus" cover/issue...  
I'm not going to write the article, but my thinking is that after everything happens with Moriarty and Mary etc. (a.k.a. I have my own thoughts about it that aren't what we were shown in series 4), John writes an article like a blog post but publishes it as a TIME exclusive in January. He and Sherlock both decide the public deserves the truth, and neither of them wants to do interviews or entrust the story to anyone else. So John just sets the record straight once and for all, and that's the cover of the issue. Oh, and Kitty Riley edits it... because her false stories about Sherlock catapulted her to fame, and they figure it’s only fitting that she help tell their truths–and she’s willing.

In my head, that article is a few pages and would be laid out with documents, footage stills, etc., so I don't foresee myself writing or creating it anytime soon. But if I get hit with enough inspiration, perhaps I shall.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and looking :)
> 
> I'm "alwaysanoriginal" on Tumblr, and "CharCubed" on Twitter.  
> Reblog here: http://alwaysanoriginal.tumblr.com/post/165944955589  
> And/or RT here: https://twitter.com/CharCubed/status/914587530804252672
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


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